


I'll Always Call Your Name

by LuckyStars_0909



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Torture, Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23514307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LuckyStars_0909/pseuds/LuckyStars_0909
Summary: In a world where Faunus are used as slaves and Blake Belladonna was one of them. Until she finally met Yang.orThe Xiao Long family gets an unexpected gift.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Robyn Hill/Winter Schnee
Comments: 20
Kudos: 195





	1. The present

\---  
“Yang, Ruby, dinner’s ready!” Tai yelled, setting the table while Qrow failed miserably in his attempt to cook an egg.

“Coming!” Yang responded running downstairs with Ruby behind her. “What do we have for dinner today?” The blonde asked, sitting down and looking impatiently at her dad. Ruby imitated the look on her sister’s face, causing Tai to laugh at the two.

“Well, we have chicken, salad, some rice, and a toasted egg after your uncle finishes destroying that poor frying pan.” He said playfully and Qrow looked at him.

“Hey, I’m not that bad at cooking, and I’ll make this omelet work!” He said.

They had a pretty peaceful dinner, along with Yang’s horrible puns and Qrow complaining about everything as usual. Ruby got distracted with a bug half-way through the conversation Tai was desperately trying to make Yang eat her vegetables. Just another normal day at the Xiao Long family, full of love and what Tai liked to call “family bonding”. 

Yang was accepted at beacon academy and leaving on the following month, so they wanted to make sure to enjoy every second while she was still here. Tai was so proud of his little girl that his heart almost exploded when they got the news, but as a former hunter, he knew that the job was everything but easy. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty on the inside.

If something happened to his little sunshine, the man would not know what to do.

But it was in the middle of the talking that the bell suddenly rang. Qrow looked at Tai with a confused expression, that the blonde one returned.

“Are we expecting someone?” Ruby asked with her mouth full of food.

“Not that I know, sweetie,” Tai answered getting up and going to the door. “Qrow I swear that if this is another lady that has come after you I will-” 

The bell ringed again.

“Rude,” Yang said eating another piece of chicken. Tai arched his eyebrow and looked through the peephole.

“Oh… It’s Damian Porsch…” He said, opening the door.

“Isn’t that the billionaire that dad helped last month?” Yang whispered to her uncle’s ear.

“I guess so, but what is he doing here?” Qrow wondered, getting up as well.

“Mr. Porsch!” Tai greeted “How surprising seeing you here!” He said, shaking the man’s hand. “Is there anything that I can do for you?”

“Hello, Mr. Xiao Long! It’s great to see you again. I apologize for showing up like this, but I’m afraid it’s the only time available for me right now.” The man explained, taking out of his pocket a purplish key. “I just wanted to thank you for your service in the proper way, considering that you were quite a gentleman while helping me with those Grimm attacks in my property.” He said, turning around and walking towards his car.

“Oh, Mrs. Porsch, you didn’t need to do this, I was Just doing my- holy shit.” The words left his mouth as he watched the man pull a blindfolded girl out of the car. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was wearing some sort of collar.

Two cat ears were visible at the top of her head, even though they were flattened with fear.

Oh no.

“Here you go!” He said, pushing the frightened girl towards the hunter.

“Mr… Mr. Porsch, I can’t-” He tried to speak, while the girl in from of him, who seemed to be covered in bruises, shivering from the cold.

“Oh, there's no need to thank me, Taiyang. You deserve it! Now, I must get going otherwise I’ll miss my meeting. See you soon!” He said getting in the car.

“No, no! Mr. Porsch!...” 

It was too late. The car was already gone, and Tai let out a sigh. Growling in frustration, he turned around again.

“What the heck is happening here!?” Qrow asked when he saw the girl in front of the house. The faunus, that looked like it was Yang’s age, let out a small cry. She was terrified. She was cold. She was hurt.

“C’mon, Qrow. Help me get her inside, she must be freezing.” He said, gently leading the black-haired faunus inside.

Yang and Ruby ran towards their father and gasped when they saw what was happening.

“Dad, what’s going on? Who is she?” Yang asked, getting closer to the trembling figure.

“I don’t know, Yang. Ruby, go upstairs and find her some warm clothes, please.” Tai helped the mysterious teenager sit on one of the chairs and went after a scissor to cut off the ropes that tied her hands. Ruby rushed to her room and grabbed the first sweater that she saw, along with one of Yang’s sweatpants, bringing them back to her father.

Meanwhile, Yang approached the faunus slowly, unable to take her eyes out of the girl in front of her.

“Hi…” She said. “My name is Yang. Can you tell me your name?”

Nothing.

“Well, I know you must be really scared right now, so I’m going to take this blindfold off… Is that ok?” She asked, waiting for the answer that eventually came as a simple nod. Unaware that her whole family was watching the scene, the blond girl gently pulled that thing off.

The faunus opened her eyes, slowly adjusting to the light that she hasn’t seen in days. Yang couldn't help to feel her heart skip a beat when golden met purple. She was gorgeous. Possibly the prettiest girl that she has ever seen.

“Hey, you.” She said playfully, smiling. “That’s way better, don’t you think?”

The girl tucked her head a little, and Yang could see her ears trying to appear again. She swore that is was the cutest thing she has ever seen.

“Good… Now let's get these ropes away from you, huh?” She turned to get the scissors with her dad, and then finally noticed her family grinning at her interaction with the faunus.

“You are doing great, sunshine. I’m proud of you.” Tai handled her the scissors and yang smile shyly at her family.

Now she needed to focus, not the time for embarrassment. 

“Hum, ok then… I need you to turn around, can you do that?” She asked looking at the golden eyes again. The girl nodded and hesitantly turned her back to the blonde. Yang could see a little bit of blood dripping from her wrists and wondered for how long her hands were like this. Trying not to be too rude, the soon-to-be-huntress finally cut off the ropes and heard the brunette let out a sigh of relief.

“So, can you tell me your name?” She asked again, kneeling in front of the Faunus. “Please”.

“Blake. I’m Blake.”

Blake. She thought. It’s perfect.

"It's a beautiful name, Blake." She said, noticing that the faunus's cheeks were blushed. She was so adorable, how could someone hurt her?

"Thank you," Blake replied. It's has been so long since someone had complimented her. 

"Are you hungry?" Yang asked, having Ruby to get the chicken they were eating. "We've got some chicken." 

Blake's eyes grew wilder, looking at the first food she had seen in a long time. She looked at Yang, waiting for her to confirm that she could eat.

"Go on, it's yours." The blonde said, giving her a plate. 

Blake ate it so fast that even Yang was surprised. For how long she had been starving like this? 

Qrow and Tai pushed her back and looked concerned at Blake. 

"What are we going to do?" Qrow asked Tai shocked his head.

"I don't know." He replied, feeling a headache coming. 

"We can't keep her?" Ruby asked, looking at the girl, who was still eating. 

"She's not an animal to be kept, Rubes. We need to know what she thinks. But I don't see a lot of options, dad." Yang mumbled. "We can't turn her in, otherwise she will be sold again."

"So I say that she stays here until we figure this out. Right?" Tai said, seeing Ruby smiling.

"Yeah! I got another sister!" She yelled. Yang laughed, shaking her head.

"No Ruby, we will not make any decisions until Blake agrees to it. And besides, she probably has a family out there so you're gaining a friend." She explained. 

But deep down, Yang was also jumping in excitement. Blake was going to stay with them.

\---


	2. Your Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A slightly bigger one, this time. Hope y'all enjoy it!

The cat faunus was still really scared of everything in her surroundings, but that didn't stop Yang from helping her. They couldn't find a way to take the collar off of her neck, so they would take it to a mechanic the following day. 

After eating, the blonde helped Blake to take a shower, (obviously not with her) and got her some of the old clothes Ruby choose. 

But it wasn’t until yang helped her brush her hair, and so gently took care of her injuries, that Blake realized the world was okay. She was safe now. And inexplicably, she was happy. Her body never felt so good.

And all thanks to the beautiful girl she was sitting next to. 

She was seventeen years old, and no one had never been so nice to her.

Not like Yang.

"So, what do you think?" The blonde asked, and Blake took some time to look at the mirror. She was wearing one of Yang's old sweaters and a sports bra underneath. She was also wearing one of Yang's shorts, and her hair was tied up in a ponytail.

But even with the dark circles under her eyes, her still-wet hair, and thee bruises in her skin, Blake felt pretty.

There was no hair falling in her face, no blood running down her body, no clothes that didn’t fit her since she was ten.

She could finally see the beauty in herself.

Yang saw tears forming on the black-haired girl's eyes, and quickly turned her head so they could she could stare at the golden orbs.

"Hey," she said, cupping the other girl's face. Blake's ears went flat on her head and she cried harder. "Why are you crying, Blake?"

Blake didn't answer. But she did something that she didn't do in a very long time throwing her arms around Yang's neck and hugging her tightly, feeling a small shock run through her body at the touch. 

"T-thank you…" She cried. Yang looked at the fragile girl in her arms and smiled, hugging her back. 

"You don't have to thank me, Blakey. You're with me now, nothing is ever going to hurt you again. I promise." She said, feeling Blake's ears twitching.

When Blake took a step back, her cheeks were more than red, and she looked at the floor.

"I'm sorry, this was invasive…" She started blushing hard when Yang interrupted her.

“No, don’t apologize. I’m here for you now, so you can hug me whenever you want. Sounds good?” She said playfully, making Blake laugh.

Yang decided that she wanted to do that for the rest of her life.

“Sounds good.” The faunus answered. Yang’s smile grew wilder seeing the small grin at Blake’s face. This girl had been through so much, she deserved to be happy now.

“Ok then, are you ready to sleep?” She asked, setting her bed so Blake could sleep on it.

“Yes. Can you lend me some blankets so I can cover the floor?” She said, looking at purple eyes.

“What? No!” Yang replied. Blake’s ears went down immediately and she felt her heart racing.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry, I didn’t want to-”

“What? Oh, Blake no! It’s not that! I’m just saying that I’m not letting you sleep on the floor!” The blonde explained. 

“So… Where am I sleeping?” Her ears twisted in confusion. Yang happened to find it adorable.

Everything about her is adorable, She thought.

“You can take my bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.” She told her, putting a lock of her hair behind the faunus’s ear and feeling that weird sensation of warmth again when she accidentally touched Blake's cheek.

“What? No, no… I can’t… I-” Stemmed the girl. Blake was starting to get nervous, she didn’t want to abuse Yang’s kindness. She didn’t want Yang to get tired of her.

“Blake, it’s ok. You need to rest so your aura can recover, so it’s completely reasonable for you to sleep in my bed.” The blonde explained, smiling at her. “Besides, Ruby’s room is right next to mine if you need anything.”

Blake nodded, not wanting to make the other girl angry, so she stayed quiet even when she was terrified of sleeping by herself again. For some odd reason, she trusted Yang more than she could’ve predicted that she would. 

She didn’t want to lose her just like she lost everything else.

“Ok. I’ll stay here, then.” She agreed. 

“Knock knock,” Tai said playfully at the door. “May I come in?”

Yang chuckled and nodded, instinctively putting her hand on Blake’s. The faunus eyes widened and her heart was once again warm. She was starting to realize that maybe with Yang, she would never feel cold again.

“Yes dad, I was just explaining to Blake that I’m going to be downstairs if she needs anything.” The girl told him. Tai smiled at the faunus, who blushed and hidden behind Yang’s shoulder.

“Hi, Blake. I don’t think we got the chance to properly introduce each other. I’m Taiyang, Yang and Ruby’s father.” The man greeted. Yang looked at Blake, who turned her head to face Tai. He seemed to be a nice guy, with a pair of welcoming blue eyes and blond hair just like his daughter.

“I’m Blake.” 

“It's really nice to meet you, although I wished it was under different circumstances.” He smiled, "I know that Yang already offered herself to help you, but please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything, ok?”

Blake smiled slightly.

“I won’t. Thank you.” She replied. Yang, who was still holding her hand, finally took notice of the act and blushed hard while staring at their fingers intertwined.

Tai laughed internally as his daughter panicked inside, and left the room. “Great! So, have a good night you two!” He yelled, Yang laughed awkwardly and took her hand off of Blake’s, scratching her neck to disguise.

“So, hum, yeah… I’ve got… I’ve got to go now. So you can sleep, I mean. Hum, yeah. I’m… I’m going now…” 

Yang smiled at her, trying to act normal and got on her feet, walking out the room.

“If you need anything-”

“I’ll call you. Got it” Blake completed, and Yang smiled.

“Great. Good night then, Blake.” Then she left, and Blake didn’t want to feel as bad as she did.

She should be happy. She had food, water, a warm place, somewhere safe to sleep and yet… She felt so alone.

Maybe they were all right after all. Maybe she was an ungrateful brat. Maybe she deserved all the pain that she went through. 

Her eyes filled with tears when she curled up in bed, trying to sleep. She was not hungry, she was not cold, and well, she was not alone either but she felt like it. Yang was probably going to get tired of her eventually, just like everyone else.

But this is not everyone else. This was Yang, she told herself.

The girl she literally just met but somehow trusted her life with.

 _Oh gosh, was is this feeling? Why can’t I stop thinking about her, or how good it felt to have her hands on mine?_ She thought. _Why do I wanna cry?_

Pushing her thoughts to the back of her head, Blake tried to sleep once again. Closing her eyes and focusing on the feeling of sleeping on a full stomach. 

But then, her ears pitched on top of her head when she heard something moving outside, making her body freeze. 

_Breath Blake. It must be just the wind._

But she heard it again, louder this time.

 _It’s just the panic and you know that._ She thought, her knees close to her head and her body trembling again.

_No, no, no, no…_

_“You’re with me now, nothing is ever going to hurt you again. I promise”_

Blake wanted to believe in Yang’s promise, she really did, but the panic that froze her body once more was terrifying. She could still hear the footsteps, whispers, words. She could hear them, all of them, screaming all together. She could feel the looks burning on her skin like fire.

_“Animal.”_

Blake could feel the tears starting to roll when she remembered Yang and their strange connection again. Yang, who made her heart melt with happiness the second their eyes met. Yang, who’s touch burned on her skin in the best way she could ever imagine.

Yang, who offered herself for help,

And Blake, who needed help.

Slowly, she sat up in bed, still focused on breathing. 

_Stay calm. Breath. It’s ok._

_Nothing is going to happen, you’re safe now. They’ll take care of you. Yang will take care of you._

_Stay calm. Breath. It’s ok._

\---

Yang couldn’t sleep. She tried every single position the couch allowed her to make, but she couldn't get herself to doss.

She couldn't stop thinking about Blake, and how crazy it was that she found herself so damn attached to the faunus. Yang was always a social butterfly, but that didn’t mean she loved every single person she talked to. Speaking the truth, she actually had some commitment issues since her mother left.

Sure, she was really young, but still.

It wasn’t easy for her to let someone in, but apparently, her heart had made an exception when it comes to Blake. That gorgeous faunus just looked at her and suddenly she felt her heart stop for a second, before coming back to life stronger than ever, bumping inside her chest with all its glory.

“Shoot…” She mumbled, sitting on the couch. What she was supposed to do now? She didn’t even know where all these feelings for Blake were coming from. She didn’t even know what they meant!

But she did know one thing, and it was that no matter what, she just wanted to stay with her.

Then, all of a sudden, she heard someone coming down from the stairs. Yang thought that maybe it was Ruby coming for a midnight snack, or Qrow trying to escape to another party again. Sometimes Yang questioned herself if she was really the teenager here. 

But in reality, nothing could’ve prepared her to see Blake’s face lit from the dim moonlight, looking at her with sparkling golden eyes.

“Hi…” She spoke, shyly.

“Hi” Yang answered. What was she doing here? Was she ok?

“I’m… uh…” Blake barely whispered, embarrassed of the situation. 

“You can talk to me, Blake.” The blonde one encouraged her, patting the place on the couch next to her, so Blake would sit down, what she did. “What’s wrong?”

“Did I wake you up?” She asked, trying to avoid Yang’s flashy eyes.

“No, you didn’t. I was having a hard time sleeping.” 

Silence.

Yang could see Blake’s cheek’s getting pink as she tried to say something.

“Me too.” She said.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Yang asked, trying to get Blake to look at her, not on the floor. But Blake continued to avoid the glare and stayed silent. “Are you… scared?”

Blake could feel her face burning, but somehow she managed to nod. 

Yang must think she is stupid now, great. 

“Ok. Want me to sleep with you?” She casually offered, and Blake finally looked at her with a surprised face. Yang had just asked if she wanted them to sleep together?

And the worst thing was that Blake wanted to say yes.  
Knowing that her face couldn't possibly get redder than it already was, she nodded again.

Yang smiled.

Blake felt like screaming.

“Ok then, let’s go upstairs." The older one smiled, getting on her feet and offering Blake a hand. The faunus took a moment before grabbing it, aware that she would feel the shock that Yang's touch provoked on her skin.

She wanted to know if Yang felt it too.

Together, the two of them went up the stairs and entered the room. Blake felt happy about it. Safe.

Calmly, Yang sat under the covers, pulling them so that blake could lay down beside her. The faunus, although hesitant, settled on the bed so that she could face the girl at her side.

Yang looked even prettier with the lack of light on her face. Somehow, Blake couldn't stop staring at her.

"Want to talk about it?" The blonde asked, trying to figure out what was happening inside the other girl's mind. Blake wanted to talk about it, she would do it eventually, but right now she wanted to sleep feeling like everything was ok again. Like her life wasn't the mess it was.

For once, she wanted to feel like the rest of the world didn't matter.

Cause in a way, it didn't.

"Tomorrow." She answered, snuggling against her, resting her head in the crock of Yang's neck. She was so tired she couldn't even care about the embarrassment, she just cared about Yang's arms wrapping around her. 

And just like that, she fell asleep.

And the world was ok again.


	3. Your Eyes

Even though she fell asleep long after Blake, Yang woke up much earlier. The sun had barely risen and the blonde was already with open eyes, staring at the black locks that now fell on her pillow. Words weren't enough to describe everything she was feeling by having Blake curled up against her.

But right now, there were too many problems more important than dealing with her helpless heart. Like the fact that Blake still had a goddamn collar around her neck, or that they didn't even know where she was from or how her health was. 

Where were her parents? Were they alive? Did she have a family? Maybe siblings?

Everything about this girl's past, present, and future was a mystery. Yang didn't know where did Blake came from, nor where she wanted to go from now on. She only knew that she was going to be here if Blake decides to stay.

Well, that's until she leaves for Beacon.

Yang breathed, closing her eyes as she tried to think of a solution. Blake would have to stay here with Tai and Ruby when school starts, and Yang would have to go. She would have to leave her.

"Hum...Yang?" She heard a dozy voice calling her name, and turned her head to see Blake's face. The faunus smiled at her, but then remembered that they had truly slept in the same _freaking_ bed. Yang chuckled when Blake's smile was replaced with a flushed face.

"Good morning, Blake." She said, seeing the girl's ears flattened out. 

"Good... Good morning, Yang." Blake rejoined. Besides all the shame she was feeling, Blake was jumping on the inside thanks to the human and something in her mind couldn't stop thinking about how she wanted to wake up like this forever. Their eyes were still connected and for a brief second, they didn't need words.

"Excuse Blake, have you seen-, oh. Hi, Yang." Qrow said, entering the room abruptly. He smirked and glanced at his niece, who was now looking like a tomato. Blake and Yang quickly moved away from each other, and Yang jumped out of bed to face her uncle. "Good morning, _little sunshine_ "

"Uncle Qrow! Good Morning!" She stated, looking at Blake, who froze out of embarrassment. "Hum, I was... having a nightmare, you know. I just came here so, you know, I would, you know..." She stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse that didn't make Blake feel uncomfortable with the situation.

"You don't have to explain anything to me, kiddo." The man said, leaving the room with that idiotic smirk on his face. Yang sighed, still perplexed about the occurring, and burst out laughing as soon as the shock went away.

"Well," Yang started, offering her hand for Blake to stand up. "Wanna eat something? I'm sure my obnoxious uncle at least made us some coffee before this whole scene." 

"Sure," Blake responded, grabbing Yang's hand. She smiled after sensing that weird feeling that was starting to become familiar to both of them.

"Good, 'cause I'm hungry!" 

\---

Luckily this time, Tai was the one who prepared breakfast, so there were no burned eggs or liquid pancakes. Blake was not used to having this amount of food so early in the morning, so the only thing she did was eat silently trying not to look like an animal who has been starving for days. 

This was all so new, and she was so happy she was here, that her ears couldn't stop fidgeting.

After eating, they went back upstairs to get ready for going to town. Today they were going to buy Blake some clothes, go to a mechanic to take the collar off, and maybe take her someplace nice.

The faunus insisted that they didn't need to do all those things for her, but Yang was always stubborn, so they were obviously doing this her way.

And her way was making sure Blake had everything she needed or wanted.

"But what are we going to do with my ears? I mean, most places in town don't allow faunus inside." She said while Yang was trying to reach her jacket on the top shelf of the closet.

"Don't worry about that, Ruby has some bows in her room, I'm sure you can use one of them if you'd like. Well, I also have some bandanas in case you find the bows too childish and I think I can find my old snapback-"

"Yang," Blake chuckled "The bow it's perfect. Thank you." She stated, smiling softly at the other girl.

"Oh, good. That's good." Yang responded, finally grabbing the jacket. "So, I guess we need to get going then." She smiled.

The stopped at Ruby's room to get the bow, and Yang carefully paced it on Blake's head. The blonde took a step back to see how it looked, and once again her heart warmed up when she saw how beautiful Blake was. 

"Wow, you look gorgeous..." She let it slipper, blushing right after. "I mean, it- it hides your ears pretty well, you know? Like, you look pretty too, but, you know... " She said, scratching her neck and trying to avoid eye contact. Blake blushed too smiling at the floor. She looked at the blonde disaster standing in front of her and with a bravery she didn't know she had, the faunus pulled Yang closer and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks, Yang." She whispered right before leaving the room. The human stood frozen, her brain still processing what had happened. Blake kissed her.

Kinda

Almost

_Almost_

"Yang, Blake! We need to go now!" She heard Tai calling them downstairs. Oh right, they had a bunch of things to do today.

\---

"Well, let me see..." Kurt said, looking at the metal piece around Blake's neck. He was an old friend of Tai and had helped him many times in the past. Mostly with the weapons he always broked.

"How bad it is?" Tai questioned, standing by the faunu's side. 

"Not horrible, but not good either, I must say. Lucky you, I have just the solution!" The man announced, putting his glasses on top of his head. Kurt was tall, sloppy and a little bit too overexcited about things, but still a good man.

"So this means you can take it off?" Yang asked, putting her hand on Blake's shoulder.

"I sure can! Indeed!" Kurt replied, moving around the weird garage that the mechanic used as his workshop. Tools were all over the floor and the wood table where Blake was sitting was obviously hand made. "Where did I leave it... Where did I- Ha!" He suddenly yelled, lifting weird-looking piler and a blowtorch.

"What is he going to do, Yang?" Blake asked, feeling a little anxious. She hadn't had a good experience with fire before.

_Fire_

The fire that burned her village down. The fire that killed her people.

"I... I don't want it, Yang. Please, I... I don't..." She mumbled, grabbing Yang's hand. The blonde girl looked at her and held her hands.

"Hey, hey, look at me, Blake. Look at me." She said, cupping the faunu's cheek. "Good. See? It's just me. Yang. Ok?"

Blake nodded.

"I'm here. We're not doing anything you don't want to, but you need to tell me what it is." She explained, seeing the golden eyes calming down. 

"Fire... I... I don't want the fire." Blake responded. Yang smiled at her and put her forehead against the girl's.

"Ok then. No fire." She assured, turning to face Kurt. "Hey, can you do it without the blowtorch?"

The old man looked at the blonde, scratching his head.

"Oh, I suppose I can... But it's probably going to take a little longer." He explained.

"No problem. Take as long as you need" Yang smiled, giving a thumbs up. Blake giggled, looking amused to the dorky human. A look that didn't go unnoticed by Tai. The man also smiled at the situation.

It was going to be hard, and frustrating for both girls, he knew that. But it was all going to be worth it if, in the end, Yang gets to smile like that.

Tai knew that something very special was starting to grow. He knew 'cause it has happened to him too, many years ago.

 _Oh, Summer, you would've loved this girl_ He thought. _She's perfect. She makes her happy._

Kurt was right, it did take a little longer than expected. Three hours, actually. 

But finally, after some failed attempts, Kurt took the collar off. 

Blake couldn't remember a time where that thing was not locked around her neck, so it was a completely new experience to have it off. A delightful experience, for sure.

After hugging Yang and thanking her every single way she knew how Blake stood up and looked at herself in the mirror.

For the second time, she felt pretty.

For the second time, she cried about it.

Yang approached her slowly, also looking at their reflection on that dirty mirror. With a gentle smile, she turned Blake around to face her.

"You are truly beautiful, Blakey." She said, smiling widely wiping the tears that feel down the faunu's face. "Prettiest girl I've ever met."

Blake looked up at her, trying to smile through the tears. She still couldn't believe all the good things that had happened to her. It felt like she was finally being rewarded after all the hell she's known her whole life.

She felt Yang's arms around her as the blonde pulled her closer to her chest. Blake was too much of an emotional wreck to hug her back, instead, she just laid her head on Yang's shoulder feeling like everything was possible once again.

Everything was beautiful again.

But not as beautiful as the brave human with golden hair that held her.

Nothing, Blake thought, could be compared to her. Nothing would be as beautiful as Yang.

\---

After leaving the workshop, Yang and Tai decided that it would be a good idea to do some shopping. After all, the faunu's was still wearing Yang's and Ruby's old clothes.

So they took her to a few different stores, Blake not wanting to spend much and Yang bringing her father to bankruptcy. They were leaving the fifth store when in the middle of the street, Blake saw a merchant selling some faunus in what seemed to be an auction.

She stopped, shocked at was she was seeing. Those poor faunus were chained to one another, looking like the weakest wind could break them.

 _"A hundred liens!"_ Someone shouted, and the crowd around the podium screamed again. 

Blake stumbled back and her eyes filled with fear.

 _"Three hundread and fifty!"_ Someone else yelled.

"Blake, let's get out of here," Yang said, taking her by the hand. Tai also helped her get away from there.

"Yang, they sold that faunus for less than what we paid for half of my clothes." She protested, looking at the purple eyes. "They sold him like an _animal_ , they..." 

"I know. If you want to head home right now, we can leave the rest for another day. There are just a few things left on the list." Yang said, not knowing what to say. She felt sick about how the faunus were treated, but there was nothing she could do about it now. 

She just wanted to hug all of Blake's pain out, but she knew she couldn't.

"I just don't understand how they can do this to us... Why would somebody do this to another person..." She said, feeling her ears twitch under the bow.

"I don't know the answer either, Blake. What I know, is that right now I can do my part. I can't change the whole world, but I can change yours. I can take care of you." The blond spoke.

"But I don't want people to be worried about me all the time, Yang. I want to be able to take care of me too. I want to take care of you either." Blake contested, fidgeting her looks between the girls and the floor.

"We'll take care of each other, then."


	4. And everything in between

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long! School's closing now so I needed to finish my stuff before it does. I hope you enjoy your reading!

The rest of the day turned out fine. Yang was always looking around trying to stop some nasty hawker with Faunus so they could walk as far as possible. She didn’t want Blake to feel bad for being here, she wanted her to have fun and enjoy the good things the city could bring.

Pacific streets, happy couples, kids running around and small buildings surrounding them made it all look like something the faunus had only known by stories someone told her before. It didn't seem real to actually be here, with two amazing humans that cared about her.

Blake was still trying to understand why would Yang even look at her with those kind lilac eyes. She was just a faunus, after all.

That disgusting race that humans hated just because they were different. The scum of society.

But Yang didn't think that way, and Blake knew it. For some reason, she might never fully understand, Yang liked her. When she looked at Blake, suddenly everything was back to normal again. A _good_ normal this time. When she smiled, oh, everything made sense. When she touched her, the world felt like falling.

And she was falling with it.

There was something different about her. She's known this girl for less than 24 hours and yet, Yang could go to the end of the world that Blake would follow.

Just to be near her, just to look at those eyes forever. To feel that electrical connection that ran through her body whenever their hands touched.

"Hey Blake, are you hungry?" She heard Yang's voice calling her and immediately turned her head to face her.

Indeed, she was.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." She answered instead. She didn't want to ask so much from the blond. They had already spent a considerable amount of money with her.

"Really? It's almost noon, tho. Are you sure?" She asked again, frowning her brows. Blake smiled and nodded, thinking that Yang was the cutest thing she has ever laid her eyes upon. "Huh, ok. But I'm starving and I could easily eat a whole bucket of fried chicken right now!" She said, making big gestures with her hands to emphasize her saying. Blake chuckled and her heart warmed up.

"Yang, behave!" Tai called her out, squishing his eyes. "I don't want Blake to think that that's how I raised you!"

Yang blushed and looked at her dad. Oh great, Blake just saw her getting scolded by her father. " _Dad..._ " She whispered.

The faunus, on the other hand, was too happy to care about it. She was finally feeling like she belonged somewhere, after years of being rejected and hated everywhere else. 

She couldn't remember a thing about her parents, well, if she still had them. She was just a baby when they took her to Vale, which was where she spent most of her childhood with the Schnees.

That name still gave her the creeps.

She usually staid with the other faunus at the mansion, working in the kitchen or the garden. There was only one room for more than eleven other teenagers that lived there too.

Blake was never friends with none of them, so she was always the rejected one. 

But trying to think about it now, there _was_ someone she talked too. Well, someone that talked to her.

Winter Schnee.

The only Schnee besides Jaques and Willow that she has ever talked to, or even seen since she wasn't allowed to get out of the slave wing. But when she was very little, too young to do the hard work, Winter would come down and read her a book.

At the time, she was also a kid, but she was the only person in her youth that actually cared if she was alive or not. When she was departed to the academy, Blake found herself alone again, lost in the darkness of her past and no future tho be seen.

One by one, the other Faunus kids started to disappear, and Blake never really wanted to know what happened to them. She was scared that if she did, then life would become even darker.

She lived with the Schnee's for thirteen years.

Then she was sold again.

"Hey, what about the Hustle's?" Yang suggested, and Blake turned her attention back to the blond girl. "They have delicious chicken wings!" 

"Sounds perfect," Blake commented, her ears twitching with excitement under the bow. Yang had that power over her.

"Nice. Dad, Blake and I are going to Hustle's, wanna met us there after you're done doing whatever you're doing?" She asked, and Blake noticed that Tai was staring at the window of a toy store, where a little train walked on the tracks. 

"What? Sure, sure... I just need to get some pieces for my new model. Go ahead." He agreed.

Yang nodded and started walking down the street, instinctively holding Blake's hand. The faunus widened her eyes surprised with the touch, but looking at Yang, she didn't seem to notice what she was doing. It made her smile.

The human just realized that they had their fingers locked when Blake squeezed her hand tightly. Needless to say that her cheeks turned red in the same instant.

Blake's hand was soft, delicate. Nothing like her father's rough grip, nor her sister's that was too energetic to stop and hold hands with her. 

Holding hands with Blake felt natural. Like somehow it was meant to be. The thought comforted her, in a way that her already-beating-like-crazy heart now was also melting.

She looked at the black-haired girl and cautiously got a little closer as they walked. Their shoulders bumped and Yang couldn't stop thinking that she didn't want to get to Hustle's too soon. She was additionally praying for the gods for her hand not to sweat right now.

Oh, gees, she didn't want Blake to feel uncomfortable with this. Was she holding her hand too tight? Too loose? Was she too close? Maybe Blake would want her to step back a little. Oh no, was she suffocating her? What if-

 _Oh_ She though, when Blake rested her head on her shoulder.

"Is this ok?" The girl asked, and Yang felt like screaming again.

"Yes, yes... This is ok. No problem, like, really, I don't mind. It's...ok." She mumbled, cursing herself for not making a sentence that made sense. But Blake laughed, and Yand realized that she was ok with being a fool if it made Blake laugh. "It's ok."

\---

Unfortunately for both of them, they got the snack bar earlier than they wanted. Tho, they were feeling very hungry.

Blake had to let Yang's hand go when they entered the establishment for them to choose a table. She followed the blonde's lead to a small one at the corner and sat down on the chair in front of her. Yang sat by her side.

"Welcome to Hustle's, Blake!" She said happily. "I could eat an entire buffalo right now, so I'm going with a big bucket. What about you?" She asked, handling the menu over. 

"Hum, I'm fine Yang. Really." Blake responded. She didn't want to cause more problems.

"You're not having anything? For real?" Blake nodded. "Oh... ok then. I'm going to take my order." 

Yang got up and Blake took another moment to think. She always had so many problems that not having none was still a feeling to get used to. Although it was not bad, for sure.

But, well, she actually had a problem. Not a _problem_ problem, it was more of a concern, but still.

And that problem was Yang and the stupid feelings she had around her.

They were undoubtedly good but unwelcome at the moment. This wasn't the time for her to develop feelings for someone else, especially not a human and also the only person that she could trust right now.

 _The only person she could trust right now was a human, oh..._ Blake thought, snorting and supporting her head in her hands. She didn't want to have those feelings, but that didn't matter cause she was having them. For no apparent reason, to be fair.

She had just looked at those damn lilac orbs and now everything was falling apart, and Blake was _loving _it. The smiles, the looks, how their hands felt just right together and how she woke up today in the blonde's arms feeling better than what she felt her whole life.__

__But it was too soon! These things should take time, and patience and a lot of talking. It was not supposed for her to fall in love with the first person that was nice towards her! But if that person was Yang than maybe..._ _

___Hold on..._ She thought, suddenly looking up. She could feel her ears moving under the bow. _Fall in love?__ _

__"Wow, that was a hell of a tiring line!" The faunus heard Yang say, as she was sitting in front of her. She kinda missed having the human by her side. "So, what's in that beautiful mind of yours?" The girl asked casually, having Blake blushing hard remembering how she had just lifted up the hypothesis of liking Yang in a romantic way._ _

__"N-nothing really, I was just wondering." She explained, looking at her own lap, where her hands were fidgeting. That's when it hit her. She still didn't know what was going to happen to her. "Uh, actually..."_ _

__"What?"_ _

__"I-I was thinking about some things and... I kind of..." She sighed, "What...what are you guys planning on doing, you know, with...with me?" She asked, finally looking up at the blonde. Yang wasn't expecting Blake to ask such a question, at least not at such a time as lunchtime. But it was completely understandable. She was still a scared teenage faunus, after all, that had probably been through more than Yang could imagine._ _

__All she wanted was to tell Blake that no matter what, she was sticking by her side. She was going to take care of her until she was healed. She was going to comfort her when she has nightmares, and fondle her until she dies from too much love._ _

__But it would be a lie, and Yang promised to herself that she was never lying to Blake._ _

__"You can stay with us if you want Blake. We're going to give you all the freedom we can, and if you decide to stay, Ruby and Tai are going to be really happy to have you." She answered, trying to maintain her eyes connected to the faunus._ _

__Blake's heart stopped for a second and her heads froze. She felt her ears dropping to her scalp. _Ruby and Tai. Not Yang._ She didn't know how she formulated a phrase after, but she did._ _

__"What about you?" She asked, not really wanting to know the answer._ _

__"I'm... I'll be leaving for Beacon next month."_ _

__Beacon. She has heard of it before. It was an awarded academy in Vale._ _

__"Oh, congratulations."_ _

__"Thank you."_ _

__They both stayed silent. Blake was genuinely happy that Yang accomplished such a thing, proud even, but it was still heartbreaking that she was leaving. Blake wanted to ask her to stay, or even go with her, but she wasn't going to be that selfish._ _

__She had never gone to school. She didn't know how to read, for the gods' sake!_ _

__How would someone like her be able to go to somewhere like Beacon?_ _

__She wasn't nearly as capable as Yang._ _

__On the other side, Yang wanted to say so much more. She wanted to tell Blake she wanted to stay with her. That, if she asked, she could try some other academy closer to home._ _

__But she knew Blake wasn't going to do it. She was too kind, too timid to do so._ _

__She would never put herself in front of Yang._ _

__Unable to speak thanks to not knowing what, the only think Yang did was reaching for Blake's hand on the other side of the table, holding it tight. She wanted to say I'm sorry, but for now, it was enough. She wished a lot of things, but right at that moment, she realized that holding Blake's hand was always going to be enough._ _

__\---_ _

__It wasn't long until the waitress came with two large buckets to their table. Tai was still out there doing something Yang couldn't care less._ _

__She cared, however, to the expression on Blake's face when the two buckets were placet at the table. Yang held on a laugh._ _

__"Yangs what's... " Blake mumbled, her stomach twisting with the smell._ _

__"You seriously didn't think that I was going to let you starve yourself, right?" She joked, picking one of the fried chicken._ _

__Blake was really surprised. She didn't want to spend a lot but if the food was already here, then... It was disrespectful not to eat it, right?_ _

__"Go on, It's yours." Said the blonde, chewing her meal. The faunus smiled at her, and Yang blushed._ _

__She suddenly felt ashamed for the way she was eating. Blake was so delicate, so calm... and Yang was determined to impress her. So, straightening her back, she picked the next piece of chicken with the napkin, imitating what Blake was doing._ _

__"What?!" They heard someone screaming, and turned to face them. "I spent seventeen years trying to make her eat like a decent person, and within a day you fixed her?!" It was Tai, whose hands here carrying dozens of bags. Blake looked at Yang, giggling at the sight of the blonde girls as red as a tomato, looking shocked at her dad._ _

__"Dad!" She blurted. Blake felt a little bit bad that Yang was feeling embarrassed._ _

__"I didn't fix her, Mr. Xiao Long. I don't think I have to." She responded, getting an even redder look from Yang. Yet, this time, she could tell the blonde was happy._ _

__Tai grinned at them and put his bags on the floor. The man nodded at Blake and took a seat by his daughter's side._ _

__"I already like you, Blake. But please don't call me that, it makes me feel old."_ _

__"You are old, dad," Yang whispered, before taking another bite at the chicken._ _

__"What?"_ _

__"Nothing." Blake laughed, looking at the two. She was happy to be here. Grateful. If Yang was leaving for Beacon than she was going to enjoy every second that she stays here._ _

__She finally found herself a family, she wasn't going to lose them this time._ _


	5. Belonging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some needed development.
> 
> I promise the bees are getting there.

They spent the rest of the day walking around town, talking about nothing and feeling everything. At that point, Yang already felt so excited about what was waiting for them.

She was looking forward to all of the naps and cuddles, to the talks and shared secrets, to the hand holding and the butterflies living in her stomach.

They had a short amount of time, sure, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy every minute of it.

Four days went by, as fast as they came. Blake and Yang decided that it was better to sleep on Yang's bed permanently, and there wasn't one single day that the two of them weren't together.

Ruby was feeling kind of left out, missing the time she had with her sister before. She really liked Blake, but now that she was here, Yang didn't seem to care about the red girl anymore. 

They always had an amazing bond between them, and now everything was Blake, Blake, and Blake. 

"What's up with you, kiddo?" Qrow asked, finally finding his niece kicking some rocks behind the house. "I haven't seen you this down since… well, actually I don't think I've ever seen you down. What's going on, huh?"

Ruby sighed, kicking another rock. "It's nothing, really. I'm just not in a good mood." She explained, hoping her uncle would just buy the lie, which he obviously didn't.

"I see… well, I get if you don't feel comfortable talking about it, but c'mon Ruby, it's me! Your old uncle Qrow. You and I are a team, right?" He said playfully, bumping his shoulder on her's. Ruby giggled, looking at the man's eyes.

"Yeah, right…" she mumbled. "It's just…" 

"...just…?" 

The girl looked down, feeling her cheeks warm up. "Yang and I… we haven't, you know… been spending so much time together these days." She said. Her head tilted to the side, and Qrow got a little bit closer.

"... Is it because of Blake?" He asked, having Ruby to look at him again. The little girl raised her eyebrows. She didn't want Blake to get in trouble because of her.

"No! I mean, she didn't do anything, it's just that… her and Yang have been so close and busy lately that I just feel…"

"Left out?" The man completed, and Ruby nodded.

"Kind of." Qrow sighed, taking Ruby's hand and locking her arm with his.

"Let's take a little walk, I want to tell you something." He explained when both of them started going around the house. "You know, I've been in your position once."

"Wha- have you?! But you are so cool, who wouldn't want to hang out with you?" Ruby infatuated. Qrow chucked at the question and looked at the sky.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you know about how your father got with both of our teammates." He explained.

"Oh, right…" She said, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, first it was my sister, Raven. Then your mother, Summer. For a long time, I felt really angry at them for no apparent reason but the truth is that I just wanted to feel like I also belonged there. They were my team, after all." 

"It must've been hard." Ruby rambled. Qrow smiled and stopped walking for a minute.

"In the beginning, it kind of was. But your father really loved both of them. Of course, in different ways and different times, but he did. They were part of his history." He looked at Ruby and kneeled in front of her. "What your sister is experiencing now Rubes, is scary. She is trying to figure out what it all means, so she might be a little off for a while, but that doesn't mean she loves you less. Trust me, give her some time and it'll all come together." The man said, tapping on Ruby's shoulder. The girl smiled at him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you uncle Qrow." She whispered.

"Hey, you two! Lunch is ready!" They heard Yang's voice calling and turned around to see the blonde girl waving at them. 

"Coming!" Ruby yelled back, running towards her sister. Yang turned around, bending her back so Ruby would jump on her. "YAY!" 

Yang laughed and carried her sister in. Qrow looked at them and smiled again.

"Yeah… it'll all come together."

\---

"What do we have for lunch today?" Yang asked, getting in the kitchen with Ruby on her back. Tai and Blake were cooking, as the blonde man trying to teach the faunus how to make an apple pie for dessert.

"You have eyes Yang, look for yourself." The raven-haired girl said, smiling at the blonde. Yang grinned back at her, and Ruby jumped off, rolling her eyes at how whipped her sister was.

"Oh, someone is feeling feisty today." She commented, sitting down. Yang was feeling so happy that Blake was feeling comfortable enough around her to let herself loosen up a little bit. She was so excited to get to know this new side of Blake.

"You should stop drooling, you know," Ruby whispered, and Yang looked at her with raised eyebrows, closing her mouth.

"Ruby!" 

"She's right, kiddo, you're embarrassing yourself," Qrow said from behind her, making her blush hard.

"Uncle Qrow!? You too!?" She said in disbelief. "Great, my own family turning against me. What did I do to deserve this?"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic and eat your vegetables!" Tai told her, sitting on his chair. Blake sat down by Yang's side and smiled at her.

It has been almost five days since she came, and Yang felt like she was never getting used to how good that smile could make her feel. 

"Drooling again." Ruby coughed, pretend to choke with the food. Yang's eyes widened and she turned red.

"Ruby!" She mouthed to her sister, hearing her laugh in response. 

Blake giggled at them, her ears tilting back. There was nothing she would trade for this.

The rest of the lunch was pretty normal, for what was normal now.

Yang was always trying to make some idiotic pun to impress Blake, who somehow laughed at them. Tai was not having to worry about Yang eating her vegetables now, so he could focus on helping with the puns.

It was almost midnight when they decided to sleep. Time was running so fast when they were having fun.

"Blake," Yang called, sitting on her bed. "What do you think about fishing?"

"Fishing?" The faunus responded, grinning at the blonde. She was trying to braid her hair so it wouldn't be so messy in the morning, but she wasn't sure if she remembered how to do it. "Why are you asking me about fishing?" Yang got up and gently stated to brush Blake's hair.

"When Ruby and I were kids, dad used to take us fishing at the bay. I was thinking about going there again. Besides, you really seem to enjoy tuna." She joked. Blake giggled but soon looked at Yang.

"Yeah, I mean, I like it but I can eat anything you guys give me, you know, I don't want to be petty nor anything."

"Blake, stop. You're doing it again." Yang sighed, braiding the black hair. "I don't want you to think that you're a burden. You're not. I love taking care of you, and even if you don't believe me, you make e really happy. Like, I don't remember being like this since my mom was around." She said, noticing Blake's ears tilting back as she blushed.

It was true, though. Yang never thought she would ever feel like this. It felt like she was living inside a book, where those feelings were described with so much intension that you even doubt if they really existed in the end. But Blake was proof that they did.

She didn't want to admit yet, but Yang was head over heels for this girl.

"Thank you. You make me happy too." She timidly said, putting a lock os hair behind her ears.

"Good, 'cause you're not getting rid of me so easy," Yang played, finishing the braid and kissing the top of the girl's head. "Now I really think we should get some sleep." Blake nodded, getting up and waiting for Yang to lay down so she could curl against her. Yang wrapped her arms around the sleepy faunus, cuddling closer as Blake pressed her face into the blond's collarbone. "Good night, Blake."

"Good night, Yang."

Meanwhile, downstairs, Tai and Qrow were still watching some tv. The blonde man could not concentrate on whatever was on it, yet.

"Qrow," He called. The red-eye man looked at him. "How do you feel about this whole... situation?" He asked. Qrow raised his eyebrows and adjusted his posture.

"I feel like we have a lot of responsibility now Tai, cause we do. We are in charge of another kid, who needs love and care like any other. But she's not like any other. She's a teenage girl who never experienced anything like a family. She's traumatized and hurt." He explained, sipping from the vodka bottle at his side. "But," he continued. "I also think that this is the best thing that happened to this family for a long time."

"How so?"

"Haven't you seen Yang? That kid and Blake are practically married already. And she's finally taking her focus out of Ruby a little. She always tried to protect her from everything and everyone, but Rubs need to learn it for herself. I think Yang always tried so hard to make up for Summer's absence that she thinks she's Ruby's mother." He concluded. "They're being good for each other, Tai."

The blonde man breathed, knowing Qrow was right. But it was not like Yang was moving out in a couple of weeks! What was he supposed to do then? How to take care of an emotionally damaged teen by himself?

"I just don't want to do the wrong thing." He explained.

"You won't, just trust me. We raised two girls the best way we could, and they turned out pretty fine." He played, drinking the rest of the bottle. Tai chucked.

Yeah, they really were pretty great.

\---

Everything about Yang was something Blake found interesting. All the little habits like how she made a pun or finger guns whenever she was uncomfortable, how she bit her lower lip when she was thinking, or how holding her hand always makes her blush.

For Blake, she could spend the rest of her days discovering new things about Yang.

The blonde was obviously a morning person since it was barely five in the morning and the girl was already training outside. Blake looked at the empty bed and was pleasantly surprised to know that it felt wrong.

Not having Yang here felt wrong. Unnatural. 

She couldn't explain to herself why the other girl meant so much to her, but at this point, she didn't care any longer. It didn't matter _why_ she was so special. She just was, and it was a good thing.

Yang was a good thing, and it's all that mattered.

Getting out of the room, Blake found Ruby staring at the door. She looked like she was ready to knock, and her silver eyes grew wider when the faunus appeared.

"Blake!" She said, smiling. Blake smiled too. "Great, I wanted to talk to you!"

"Oh, okay. I, hum, didn't eat breakfast yet... can I just-," She started. Oh, great, she was getting better with all the stammering. Why is it back now?

"Of course, yeah, I'm sorry. Actually, I haven't had my breakfast either, we can eat together!" Ruby exclaimed. Blake nodded, smiling again. 

_It's just Ruby, you don't need to be nervous around everyone in the house. Breathe_

Following the younger girl's lead, they made their way to the kitchen.

"Where is everybody?" Blake asked as soon as she realized the house was quiet. She knew Yang liked to exercise in the morning, but there was supposed to have three other people living here other than Ruby and her.

"Yang is sparring with dad in the yard, and uncle Qrow is out." The answer came softly. Ruby was trying to reach the top shelf to get the cookie jar, but it seemed like she was having some trouble. Blake slowly approached her to help. "Thanks!" The small girl grinned happily.

Blake was fine having only a glass of milk and some fruits, but Ruby insisted that she at least tried a piece of the chocolate cake she made yesterday, together with a couple of cookies.

"So, Blake," She started. "The thing I wanted to talk about was that hum... I've noticed that you and Yang are getting along pretty well. And please, don't get me wrong, I'm really happy about it, I am! It's just that I can't help but feel a little protective right now." Blake blushed, her ears twisting timidly as she tried to pay attention to what Ruby was saying. "Yang has always been there for me, but I know she is not the invincible superhero she always tries to be. In fact, she had a lot of issues growing up that nobody had the time to help her with. She doesn't open up that easily, but you seem to be an exception since the beginning."

"Ruby, I-"

"Hold on," THe girl interrupted. "Just... let me tell you this first. I admit that I was... that I _am_ a little bit jealous. But I'm also really happy and proud of her for finally letting someone new. I trust you, Blake. I know you won't hurt her on purpose, but as her sister, I need to know how you feel about this whole thing." She ended, silver eyes starring into gold. The faunus looked down, not wanting her cheeks to get any redder than they already were.

"I don't know exactly how I feel. I guess I never had to worry about what _I_ was thinking before, but... I feel safe around her. Happy, for once. I feel like I'm finally where I was supposed to be." She answered the best way she could. 

"Ok. Thank you for being honest with me." Ruby smiled, "Now I think we should go get dad and Yang inside, you know, before they set the house on fire. Again."

_I'm finally where I'm supposed to be._


	6. Everything that comes with you

Footsteps echoed through the empty corridors, while the sound of birds outside was drowned out by the thick walls. The white-haired man, whose face did not express emotion, made his way to the conference room.

Jacques Schnee was his name. Feared by many, not loved at all. A deviant man who would do everything for power.

Polished black loafers on his feet, and dressed in the most expensive clothes, the man was, in fact, terrifying. 

"Father." A voice spoke through the silence, firmly calling him from behind. Jacques stopped, not bothered enough to turn and face his daughter.

"Winter, what a pleasure having you in my property again." He said. "Unfortunately, you have made your presence in a, particularly complicated time. I suggest you schedule a meeting with one of my assistants, otherwise, I am afraid we will not have a chance to talk."

Winter gritted her teeth, her fists trembling with the will to punch him. She breathed, trying to calm the nerves that would automatically pop up whenever she talked to that man.

" _I am afraid, father,_ that it happens to be a matter of extreme importance. And I would deeply appreciate it if you gave me five minutes of your precious time." She answered, narrowing her eyebrow while trying to keep the anger hidden from her expressions. "As a matter of fact, It is something that takes place inside of your own family."

"My dear daughter, as I thought you should have known, I do not discuss family subjects on weekdays. As you might have noticed, I am a quite busy man." He stated, continuing to walk. Winter sighed frustrated, but she wouldn't give up just yet. She needed to try one more thing.

"I need you to let Weiss go to Beacon." She yelled, standing like a rock in the middle of the hallway. 

"And why… would I do that?" Jacques asked, pulling up his sleeves.

"Because, father, you want me away from Atlas. I assure you that if Weiss attends the academy, I will get out of your way. If everything goes well, you may never even hear from me again." She said. 

"Well, well… It is an interesting proposal, Winter. I am proud of you for coming up with it, although I am pretty sure that that girlfriend of yours has a part in this." He responded. When he finally turned around, Winter had to control her wrists so she wouldn't punch that creepy smile out of his face.

"First of all, Councilwoman Hill and I have a strictly platonic relationship, that is none of your business. Second, she did not come up with the idea. I did. You are my problem, not hers." 

"Oh, there is no need to fight, daughter. I can be a problem for a lot of people." He smirked. "But I will think about your… deal. You must have your answer by tomorrow morning." 

"I hope so, father." She whispered to herself, storming off of that house. There was still a chance for Weiss, and Winter was ready to fight for her sister.

It was outrageous tho say at least. Jacques couldn't possibly think that by locking Weiss up in that ridiculously big house he was making her a favor. But then again, she wasn't even slightly surprised by her father's reaction given how he used to respond to things when she was a child. 

It was always about legacy, money, reputation.

For once Winter taught that she could get him to his senses, but life wouldn't give that to her that easily now, would it? 

And of course, he just needed to bring Robyn into this too. Just like any other conversation since the two of them started working together. But before Robyn, it was Jason. And before Jason, it was Tim. 

And even tho she had never showed any kind of romantic affiliation with the latter two, her father would never see her as her own person.

She would always be someone's partner. Someone's sidekick. 

Never a person, but a property.

But not anymore. Not ever again.

"Winter?" Called the once so familiar voice. The oldest Schnee froze in the middle of the stairway outside the manor and turned around. 

"Hello, Weiss." She answered, trying to maintain her composure even when her heart was suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety. They hadn't seen each other for over two years now, and Winter couldn't help but notice how grown up Weiss looked now. So mature. But still a kid. "It is pleasant to see you again."

She tried to fight the urge to scream how much she missed the little heiress, but all it took was the smile of pure happiness Weiss gave her, and then she no longer cared. Opening her arms and offering the girl a comforting gaze, Winter watched as Weiss ran down the stairs to hug her. The impact was almost strong enough to send both of them rolling down the steps. They hugged for a few seconds as if it would ever be enough, but eventually, the silence was broken when Weiss spoke.

"I heard Klein saying you were here but I could not believe it. I missed you so much." She mumbled, her voice stifled in Winter's shoulder. "What are you doing here?" 

Winter broke the contact and took a moment to look at Weiss. Her eyes filled with pride and relief, and she smiled softly before answering. "I had some unfinished businesses to deal with father. You know how he can be." 

"Unfortunately." The younger girl muttered. It wasn't uncommon for them to have to deal with Jaques Schee's 'unfinished business' now and then, so Weiss didn't really bother about it. "Are you coming back soon tho? Am I going to see you again?" She asked, her voice filled with hope. However, she understood the answer when she looked at Winter's sad smile. "Oh, I see."

"I am sorry Weiss, but I still do not know how things will work yet... But I swear that I will do everything that I can to-"

" _Special Operative Schnee, can you answer?_ " A robotic voice interrupted. Winter glanced at Weiss apologetically as the other girl just signed, and as soon as she turned around to pick up her scroll, Weiss left.

\---

"Yang, I can't swim!" Blake giggled, trying not to fall off the boat they were at. Yang had really taken them all fishing, and as much as Blake loved spending time with all of them, being trapped in a boat in the middle of a lake was not what she had in mind.

"Easy then, don't fall in the water!" Yang answered, smiling when Blake sit down by her side, grabbing her arm quite tightly.

"It's easy for you to say, huh. I don't like it when there's water in my ears." She said, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder as she reached the fish hook. Yang looked at her when she was done with the bait.

"That must be tough. But don't worry, I got you." She said, smiling at Blake.

"How are you two doing?" Tai yelled from his boat. Ruby was sitting in front of him trying to untangle the line from the fishing rod. Qrow refused to go, but that wasn't quite a surprise, since he never really appreciated Tai's choices for activities as much as Yang did. 

"We're great dad! Be careful with the hook Ruby!" She yelled back. 

Yang was surprisingly good at fishing for someone as anxious and energetic, and Blake thought that maybe this was something that calmed her down. She had mentioned that they used to go fishing on holidays when her mother was around, and even though the faunus didn't know much about the woman, she could tell that Yang really missed her.

Blake never had anything to compare to a mother figure. For as long as she could remember, no one was there. It was still hard for her to understand the concept of a family, but it was really good to learn it with the Xiao Long's.

After some hours, they decided to go back home and cook some fish for dinner. Blake was excited, she'd never eaten grilled fish before and Yang made it seem so delicious that she was really looking forward to it. 

Thanks to the weather, the faunus could wear a hat instead of the usual black bow, so her ears were much more comfortable given the extra space. She chose to try one of the dresses Yang bought her, along with some sandals. It was still very nice to have something comfortable to wear whenever she wanted. The bruises on her skin were significantly better now, as well as her overall appearance.

The blonde, on the other hand, was wearing an old white shirt and cargo pants. Of course, later on, Blake understood that Yang's outfit was way more appropriate for the situation, but it was not like she cared.

She was feeling good, and that's what mattered.

Yang had taught her that.

When they got home Ruby was the first one to volunteer for cooking dinner, so she went with Tai to the kitchen. Qrow was still downtown doing his thing, and would most definitely come back later rather than sooner.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Yang asked, taking her boots off before entering the house. When Blake nodded, she continued. "You could try that yellow onesie we bought the other day." She smirked, watching as the faunus scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you mean that thing _you_ bought me even when I told you there was no way I would wear it?" She replied playfully.

"Come on Blake, don't be like that. I'm still going to convince you to wear it! Besides, it's cute!" 

"I'm sorry... cute?" The faunus grinned. "Yang, I once wore a potato sack that looked better than that thing. Forget it, I'm not putting it on." She joked, following the blonde upstairs.

"We will see about that." She smirked again, heading towards the bathroom. Her clothes were covered in dirt and sweat, so she couldn't wait to take a shower and put on some old t-shirt and shorts. But as soon as the bathroom door was opened, Yang's scroll began to ring. She gave Blake a nod and mentioned for her to go ahead and bath as she began to talk to whoever was calling her.

"Hello?" 

"Hello! Is this the number of Ms. Yang Xiao Long?" A feminine voice asked.

"That's me, yes" She quickly responded.

"Good evening Miss Xiao Long, my name is Eva and I'd like to talk to you regarding Beacon Academy." 

\--


End file.
